


That Perches in the Soul

by Laura_Mayfair



Series: Bring Me To Life [3]
Category: Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Genre: Domestic, F/M, Family, Family Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 09:34:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2063052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Laura_Mayfair/pseuds/Laura_Mayfair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tom and Laura celebrate their engagement and make plans for their future. Laura gets unexpected news.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That Perches in the Soul

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to lanalucy and newnumbertwo, my two Associate Muses, for beta and for encouraging this verse.

“Can I help you with dinner?” asked Laura as she stepped into the kitchen of her apartment. Fresh from the shower, she’d pulled her damp hair back into a ponytail and she wore no makeup. Tom sometimes thought he enjoyed her this way best - casual and comfortable in a way that few people got to see.

“You want to handle the salad?”

“Sure,” said Laura, opening up her fridge. How did things go with the adjuster?”

“Good. Someone’s coming to fix the windows tomorrow morning and they asked for an inventory of what was inside. I got as many receipts as I could find. Think you could take a look at my list before I attach it to the email? Make sure I didn’t forget anything?”

“Of course. Remind me before we go to bed.” She closed the refrigerator door with a sway of her hips. “Actually, maybe I should do it now.”

Tom wrapped his arms around her from the back. “Oh, no. Not a chance, Roslin.”

“If this evening goes in the direction that I’m hoping it will go, I’m not going to be in any position to review anything.” She turned to loop her arms around his neck, interlacing her fingertips and snuggling close. “Work now. Play later.”

Tom bent down and kissed her, not pulling away until he heard that lush little sound that she made way back in her throat. “Persuasive argument,” he said against her mouth. “Okay. But only because if you stay in here, dinner’s going to be ruined. “Twenty minutes,” he added.

“Gods, Tom, I hope you mean the time until dinner’s ready and not what’s going to come afterwards.”

He flicked her ass with the dish towel, barely hitting his target before she darted out of reach.

“Cheeky,” he said to her retreating form. “There’s a printout on your desk.”

“Okay,” called Laura. The laugh in her voice made him want to forgo dinner completely and dive head first into dessert.

For dinner, he’d made grilled steak with a red wine sauce, garlic mashed red bliss potatoes, and roasted brussels sprouts. The marinade recipe was an old family favorite that Laura hadn’t coaxed out of him yet. It wasn’t so much that he didn’t want to share it -- it was just much more fun when she tried to come up with creative ways to make him talk. He hadn’t had time to whip up dessert so he’d stopped at their favorite bakery instead and picked up a lemon cake. It was a dreamy concoction of white layer cake with lemon filling in the middle and a decadent lemon flavored frosting on top.

About a half hour later Tom poked his head into Laura’s office and invited her in to dinner. Returning to the kitchen, he opened up a bottle of their favorite white wine and poured two glasses.

“Honey, do you have any candles?” he called.

“Second drawer; right under the silverware drawer. On the left.” Laura’s voice came into better focus as she entered the cozy eat-in kitchen, printout in her hand. “I added a few things to your list. I don’t think we’ve forgotten anything major.”

“You know, I haven’t even told my mother yet? About what happened at the union?” Tom rubbed his face and emitted a small groan.

“Tom, she’s going to find out. That article is going to press in another forty-eight hours, not to mention the fact that she often comes by the place.”

He gripped the back of his chair. “I know.“

“I can tell her for you. I don’t mind. And speaking of things to tell her, we do have good news, too.” Laura leaned toward him and gave his cheek a quick peck.

“Oh, she knows about us. You don’t think I’d pick out your engagement ring without some feminine input, do you? I sent her a text a little while ago that you can't resist my charms and said yes. She’ll probably be blowing up your phone soon -- if she hasn’t already. You don’t mind that I told her, do you?”

“Of course not. How about this? I’ll invite Karen out for lunch and shopping tomorrow and I can break the news to her about the vandalism?”

“And talk about how much you adore me.” Tom grinned. “I’m amenable to that. My two favorite women. I got some great pictures of us at the spaceport that you can show her, too.”

“How did you get pictures of us at the spaceport?” Laura asked as she grabbed the candles from the drawer and lit them.

“I told you I made friends before you arrived. The guy who said I was cute had a really great camera phone on his cell.” Tom pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed Laura the pictures of them, including a photo of him waiting for her while holding up his sign.

“It was a very romantic proposal.” Laura smiled. “And I didn’t see it coming at all.”

“Oh, go on; I love praise.” He slid an arm around her waist. “Catching you off guard once in a while is sort of fun, too.”

“Mmmm, well don’t get used to it. Can I eat and flatter you at the same time? I’m hungry.”

“I suppose.” Tom picked up their plates. “Okay if I serve you?”

“Please.”

* * *

 

After a leisurely dinner, Laura helped Tom take care of the dishes and made a pot of tea to have with their dessert, They decided to share a piece of the lemon cake. Tom brought everything into Laura’s living room and they nestled down together on her sofa.

He took a bite of cake. “I think we need to have a chat about living arrangements.”

“Mmmmm?” Laura kissed his jaw.

“I think we should get a house but, in the meantime, I was wondering if you might consider moving in with me? Or I could come here. I’m not fussy.”

Laura contemplated the suggestion. “I like your apartment. It’s a little bigger than mine. Half my things are there anyway. It’ll mean breaking my lease but it’s nearly up so the penalty would be low….”

“I’ll cover that.”

“No you won’t. I’ll take care of it.”

“Ooh, are we going to have our first pre-marital argument?” Tom leaned back against the couch, pulling Laura with him and sliding two fingers over the side of her rib cage where he knew she was ticklish. Laura squirmed. After the reflexive giggle passed, she glowered at him.

“ _Tom._ We can’t have a serious discussion if you’re going to tickle me.”

“Yeah, well, now that you’re laying on top of me I’m not expecting we’re going to get very much accomplished.” He gave her a wicked grin.

“You’re going to be a handful of a husband, aren’t you, Mr. Zarek?” Laura asked softly. She skimmed a hand over his thigh, just barely brushing her fingertips against his groin.

“More than a handful,” he teased, caressing her waist.

Laura palmed him through his jeans, feigning an expression of surprise at what she found there. She widened her eyes.“ Apparently so.”

Tom groaned and slipped his hands under Laura’s t-shirt. Warm hands glided across her stomach and traced the outline of her bra with the slow sureness of a man who knew he had all night. Shimmying her upper body toward the end table, Laura retrieved their plate of lemon cake. The fork that was resting beside the plate didn’t quite make it and clattered loudly against her hardwood floor.

“I almost think you want that cake more than you want me,” said Tom with an affronted little pout.

Laura dipped a fingertip into the creamy lemon filling between the two layers of moist fluffy cake and spread it across his lips. “Why can’t I have both?” She proceeded to lick the filling off using only the very tip of her tongue. A messy, sticky make out session followed. They were both in mixed states of undress and panting heavily when Tom finally suggested moving into the bedroom.

“I’m going to make it my mission to locate every inch of frosting that you’re still wearing,” he said in a low voice against her ear as he pulled her up off the couch and led her to bed.

* * *

 

Tom had already left for the union when Laura’s alarm chimed and woke her up. She vaguely recalled him kissing her goodbye through the haze of drowsy half-sleep. It wasn’t like her, sleeping so much. Normally she woke easily and often rose before he did. But not lately. The past week she’d been waking up with her alarm, as she had this morning. She only set it as a precaution to keep to her schedule. She almost always woke up before it went off. Coffee. Clearly, she needed coffee.

She spent the morning cleaning her apartment and organizing some paperwork for both school and the union. She really should start thinking about packing, she decided, if she wanted to avoid paying another month’s rent. She wondered if she could get everything done within the next couple of weeks and began to work out a tentative plan.

By mid-morning, Laura feared she might have to cancel lunch with Karen. The queasy feeling was back, only this time it had morphed into full fledged nausea and dry heaving. She felt warm, too, so she cranked up the air conditioner. Maybe Tom was right after all; maybe she really was getting sick. She curled up on her chaise lounge for a little bit to wait and see if she felt better later. If she could only rest for a few minutes, maybe it would pass. Laura closed her eyes.

The next thing she knew, the sound of her apartment buzzer startled her awake with a jolt. She was freezing. She threw a sweater on over her light sundress and turned the air conditioner back down before answering Karen’s page and buzzing her future mother-in-law inside.

Laura waited at the door. As soon as Karen saw her, she quickened her pace and gave her a big hug. "I'm so happy about you and Tom,” she said, slipping an arm around her shoulders as they walked inside the apartment. Her eyes, a darker shade of blue than her son’s, glowed with excitement.

She took Laura’s hand in hers and admired the engagement ring. “Oh, it looks perfect.” Karen placed her purse on the counter. “You have no idea how crazy he went over finding exactly the right ring.”

“I love it,” said Laura, beaming. “And I can well imagine. He’s like a locomotive when he gets his mind set on something. He’s unstoppable.”

Karen looked at Laura meaningfully. "My son has excellent taste.”

Laura gave her a soft smile. “Do you want some tea? I’m not really hungry just yet.” Her stomach still felt like she’d swallowed a Ferris wheel.

“I’d love some tea.”

Laura pulled a chair out for Karen at the kitchen table so she could sit down while Laura put the teapot on. She took out two teacups, sugar, and the fresh lemon she’d sliced that morning. Neither she nor Karen took milk in their tea. When the water was ready, Laura brought the teapot to the table and sat down in the chair across from Karen. They sipped their tea and chatted for a few minutes, mostly about Tom’s proposal and about how excited they both were. Laura didn’t want to break the bad news about the union vandalism right away and she enjoyed the chance to simply catch up with Karen, just the two of them.

“Would it be okay if we skipped shopping and lunch today?” asked Laura. “I think I’m fighting some kind of stomach bug. There’s a wonderful little gourmet deli around the corner. They deliver. I can order lunch in for you.”

“Of course.” Karen frowned. “I’m sorry you’re not feeling well though. When did that start?”

“It’s nothing.” Laura waved a hand. “About a week ago, I guess. It comes and goes. Whatever it is, it’s stubbornly hanging on.”

“A week? That’s a long time for the stomach virus,” said Karen worriedly. “You don’t want to get dehydrated.”

“Oh, it’s mostly just persistent nausea. I’m not exactly throwing up. I’ve been more tired than usual, too. Probably another sign that I’m fighting something off.”

Karen paused with her teacup halfway to her lips. She arched an eyebrow at Laura. “This isn’t your crafty little way of telling me I’m going to be a grandmother, is it?” She smirked.

“Oh, gods….no. I can’t be pregnant.” Laura glanced down at her tea. “I have a better chance of being struck by lightning.” She fiddled for a moment with the string on her discarded teabag before looking up. “A few years ago my doctor told me it would be almost impossible for me to conceive without fertility treatments and even then….” This wasn’t a conversation that she’d expected to be having with Tom’s mother. Laura shook her head. “No, I’m not pregnant.”

“Have you had any hot flashes with this ‘persistent nausea’ of yours?”

“No -- “ Laura suddenly remembered the wave of heat that had swept over her earlier today. “Yes, but -- “

“It’s from the surge in hormones. Not uncommon.” Karen reached across the table and took one of Laura’s hands in hers. “I could run to the store and pick up a pregnancy test. Sweetie, stranger things have happened. No pressure though, okay? Feel free to tell me to stop being a meddlesome mother-in-law-to-be. You can even tell me exactly where to stick it.”

Laura laughed. “I would never say that!”

Karen tucked a few strands of Laura’s auburn hair behind her ear. “I won’t keep pestering you. But know that I’m here for you either way.”

“Okay,” said Laura.

Karen picked up the teapot and went to refill Laura’s cup but Laura stopped her. She took a slow, deep breath and met Karen’s eyes head on. “Let’s find out for sure."

 

* * *

 

It was an agonizing three minutes as Laura stood in her bathroom and waited for the digital test Karen picked up from the drugstore to reveal its answer. She was afraid to hope for what would almost be a miracle. It had taken some time to come to terms with the reality that she might never be a mother in the purely traditional sense. Now it was difficult to dislodge those deeply embedded doubts. The words _donor_ , _adoption,_ and _surrogate_ flashed through her mind, as they always did, whenever she thought about having children. These were the options her doctor had presented her with if she wanted to have a child and traditional fertility treatments failed. Many months ago, she’d told Tom that biological children may or may not be in the cards for them. Although he had been understanding and supportive, it hadn’t made the confession any easier. It was hard to admit a function that should be so fundamentally possible for her as a woman -- wasn’t.

When a single word finally appeared on the tiny screen of the small plastic stick, Laura just stared at it in awe and disbelief.

_Pregnant._

Tears flooded her eyes and spilled down her cheeks. She couldn’t do anything but stand there gawking at the read-out screen. She covered her mouth with both hands, half waiting for the little stick to change its mind. There was a gentle knock on the bathroom door and then Karen’s concerned voice called out for her. “Laura?”

“Come in.”

Karen entered the bathroom. Immediately, Laura saw the sympathy darkening her eyes and realized that Karen must be misinterpreting her tears. Words bubbled out of her, incredulous and buoyant. She clutched Karen’s arm.

“It says I’m pregnant.”

The older woman enveloped her in a fierce hug and they stood like that for a long time, weeping and swaying and laughing.

“I knew it,” said Karen happily. “Your symptoms….”

“I’m glad you were here with me,” said Laura. Her head was pressed against Karen’s shoulder and the words came out muffled.

“Oh, honey, me too.” Karen grabbed a wad of tissues from the box on the counter and gave some to Laura. They both dabbed their eyes.

“I’ll clean up the bathroom and be out in just a minute,” said Laura. “You must be hungry.”

“Okay.” Karen sniffled and blew her nose. “I’ll be waiting.”

It didn’t take Laura long to put the bathroom back in order. She joined Karen in the living room a few minutes later, settling down on the chaise lounge while Karen curled up on the sofa. Lunch was delivered a short time later. Laura ate some chicken soup and some crackers while Karen enjoyed one of the deli’s specialties, a roast beef sandwich with a creamy spicy-sweet dressing and homemade chips. Laura finally had a chance to tell Karen about what happened a few days ago at the union, including the news about Tom’s encounter with the vandals and his black eye.

“We’ll have to upgrade security there,” said Karen fiercely. “That’s all there is to it. I can help you with that.”

“Karen you’ve already been extremely generous. Tom and I can take care of everything from here. Really.”

“You and Tom are going to have enough to worry about with plans to buy a house and a baby on the way. Laura, that settlement money isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on if I can’t help keep my family safe. It’s what my husband would have wanted, too. Tom and you are everything to me and so is that little bundle you’re carrying there.” Her eyes began to fill up and the sight got Laura started all over again, too. She plucked a couple of tissues from the box on the coffee table and handed some to Karen.

“Oh, my gods,” said Laura. “Look at us. We’re a pair.” The two women giggled and then smiled at one another. Laura was just about to offer Karen another glass of iced tea when she heard the familiar jingle of keys sliding into the apartment door’s lock.

Tom was back from work.


End file.
